A Real Champion: The Cedric Diggory Story
by ShelbyElizabeth
Summary: Cedric Diggory was an average boy with an unusual talent, and now he’s off to learn magic and make friends, leaving behind the only one he ever truly cared about. Date of next post can be seen in my profile. T- for violence, language, and romance.
1. Leaving

**A Real Champion: The Cedric Diggory Story**

A ShelbyElizabeth original story

Summary: Cedric Diggory was just an average boy, with an unusual talent, and now he's off to Hogwarts to learn magic and make friends, leaving behind the only thing he ever truly cared about.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise. However, I do own this plotline, story, and Bridget Benoit.

**Chapter One: Leaving**

To his neighbors, Cedric Diggory was a seemingly average boy, with above average good looks and a charming smile. He was also quite bright, so it seems he was not average at all. On the surface, Cedric was polite and kind to all he met, man or woman, young or old, it made no difference to him. But what his neighbors did not know was that young Cedric had a secret. The secret was by no means the deep, dark kind that one kept hidden to protect their reputation, but still, Cedric's father, Amos, told him that he was to tell not a soul his secret. Cedric Diggory was a wizard.

From the time he was born, unusual things happened around Cedric. When he threw temper tantrums, the pots and pans all clanged together, and when he was extraordinarily pleased, the air around him seemed lighter and brighter. This was, of course because of his magical inclinations.

His father worked at the Ministry of Magic. Mind you, he was not the Minister himself, but he was no magical janitor, but in Cedric's eyes, there could be no better man in the world. Now Cedric did his best to please his father and he very rarely broke any rules, but once, just once, he broke the number one rule: DO NOT tell anyone the secret.

11-year-old Cedric was on the swings of the playground around the corner from his house, minding his own business when he was joined unexpectedly by a very pretty young girl by the name of Bridget Benoit, whom Cedric had always had affection for, though he couldn't be sure she felt the same way. "Hello Cedric," she said quietly, "Um, well you know term started today and I couldn't help but notice that you weren't in school, were you ill? I mean, I suppose you weren't ill because you're here right now but, um, where were you?"

Cedric knew that he would have a difficult time keeping secrets from Bridget, so he answered her vaguely, "Home."

"Oh, ok." the young dark haired beauty remarked.

"I'm not going to school here anymore." He replied.

"I see. Where are you going? Unless of course you're going to be home-schooled, but I don't think that is the case since both of your parents have jobs, but, um, yes, so where are you going?" the questions cascaded from her mouth.

Something about the way her blue eyes sparkled at him convinced him that he had nothing to fear from her. Surely his father did not include Bridget in the threat category. Surely it was safe to tell her. Cedric looked around, to be certain that he and Bridget were quite alone, and they were, so there could be no safer place. "Can you keep a secret?" he whispered.

"Of course." She whispered back, eyes widening in excitement.

"I'm going to a school east of here, called Hogwarts."

"Why does that need to be a secret?"

Cedric's nervous eyes strayed only from Bridget to scrutinize the woman walking past on the sidewalk with a baby carriage. "Because, Hogwarts is not a normal school, it's a school of," Cedric broke off, thinking of his father, but deciding that there was no way that he could be found out, he continued, dropping his tone until it was almost inaudible, "magic."

"Magic? What kind of magic? Like magic tricks, oh I love magic tricks. Oh, this is so exciting; you're going to magician school! This is so wonderful, why would you want to keep it quiet?" Bridget's face morphed to match her voice, which switched swiftly from excitement to confusion.

Cedric mentally rolled his eyes, but explained calmly "No, it's not a magician's school. It's a school for wizards. Real wizards, and real magic, not like card tricks and stuff." He tried very hard not to let exasperation creep into his voice; he should have known that she wouldn't understand.

"Oh, that's nice. I hope you have a good time. I probably won't see you again anyway." The girl's voice softened.

This took Cedric by surprise. He had expected to be able to see her during breaks, but now she was telling him it wouldn't happen. He tried to sound normal but his voice betrayed his true emotions, anger and a bit of sadness trickled in as he said "Why not? Is it because of what I just told you? You don't want to be my friend anymore, do you?" Sadness consumed Cedric's mind. 'How could I honestly expect her to understand? I shouldn't have said anything. Should've said I was going away to boarding school. It wouldn't have been lying, just not the whole truth. Oh well, too late now.'

"No," Bridget's voice startled Cedric; he did not realize she was still there, as he had expected her to be running as far away from this crazy boy as she could, "I'm moving. Me and my mum are going to live with my aunt for a while, in Paris, while Dad is… away. Mum thinks it will be good for me, and I'll get the practice my French. I mostly just came to say good-bye. I'm leaving tomorrow. I went looking for you at your house, but your Dad said you were here. He asked me to tell you that supper will be ready soon, and to please come home soon. Anyway, I was going to tell you sooner, but I couldn't think of a good way to say it."

The two sat in silence for a while, Cedric thinking about not seeing Bridget ever again, and Bridget thinking about not seeing Cedric. He broke the awkward silence, mumbling "I should probably go, Dad'll be mad if I miss dinner."

He waited for a moment, to see if she would respond, but Bridget stayed quiet and stared at the ground. It wasn't until he had begun to walk away that she stood up and whispered "Cedric,"

He turned around, hoping that she was going to tell him that it was all just a joke, and that she would be here, waiting for him during breaks, but she said nothing else. She got up from her swing and strode up to him, wordlessly wrapping him in a hug that said more than words could have.

Again, their silence was broken, and a tender moment ruined by a taunting from beyond the gate. "Cedric and Bridget, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

The annoying boy's friends laughed, and Bridget broke away, not wishing to be a target for their antics. She was mainly embarrassed, but Cedric felt nothing but anger. He was silently wishing harm on the boy, his face screwed up from trying to hold back tears. The boy took another jab, "Look fellas, he's trying to take a poo!"

This only made Cedric angrier and the small group of boys laughed harder. They began to move away when their leader, the taunter, tripped over a small rock on the sidewalk that had not been there before. The motion propelled him forward, and failing to catch his balance, he fell and smacked his head on the side mirror of a car. The boy's friends checked to see if he was hurt while Cedric chuckled inwardly. The boy stood up, rubbing his forehead, and stomped away angrily. His friends followed, snickering quietly behind his back. Once they were around the corner and out of sight, Bridget and Cedric began to laugh. She looked up into his eyes, her own wet with tears from laughter, and hugged him again. His enjoyment subsided immediately as she whispered "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too." He said, though it was more like a promise that he would never forget this wonderful girl.

Cedric gave her a small peck on the cheek, and walked away from playground. He could not bring himself to turn around, because he knew that if he did, he would not be able to leave. Then, so quickly that Bridget could not be sure she had seen it, he swooped down, grabbed the rock that the horrible boy had tripped over, and pocketed it. He still felt the urge to turn around, so he started to run away, to make their parting as painless as possible. So he left Bridget standing alone in the old playground that she would never return to, ever again.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I SENT THAT WRETCHED GIRL AFTER YOU HALF AN HOUR AGO!"

"Amos," a timid voice interrupted, "Please calm down, she meant no harm."

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN, YOU KNOW THAT HE HAS A SOFT SPOT FOR HER. WHAT DID I TELL YOU, BOY? ONLY NANCY-BOYS HAVE SOFT SPOTS, YOU NEED TO TOUGHEN UP, RIGHT NOW." Cedric's father shouted, his face shone red, as if he had eaten too many cherries and his skin was tinted that color.

"Dad, please. We were just saying good-bye." Cedric said softly, hoping that his father could not see the sadness in his eyes.

"Good-bye? GOOD-BYE? WHAT DID YOU TELL HER?" Amos's questions stung Cedric, filling him with guilt as well, remembering that he had indeed broken the number one rule.

His momentary hesitation was all that his father needed to condemn him. Amos grabbed Cedric by the arms, pinning him to the wall and repeated "WHAT DID YOU TELL HER?"

"Nothing Dad, I promise. We were only saying good-bye because she's moving." Cedric said meekly, praying that his eyes would not betray his guilt.

For a moment, he thought he had been successful, for his father's grip slackened. Then, as if he had no mercy for the puppy-lovesick liar, pushed Cedric up against the opposite wall and hissed "You lie. Go to your room, NOW!"

He shoved Cedric towards the stairs. Cedric stumbled a bit climbing them, but he comforted himself by thinking 'Dad's just a little intense, that's all.' But he wasn't fooling himself. He heard his mother yelp as his father turned on her as well. 'So it's going to be one of those nights…' he thought. He lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, listening to his father blame his mother for everything that was wrong with Cedric. He tried not to think of anything family related. Instead, he thought about Bridget, and how much he was going to miss her. He hoped she would have a good time in France. 'Oh, shoot,' he thought, silently berating himself, 'I forgot to ask how long she would be gone.' Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, dreaming only of Bridget.

Cedric awoke to a soft tapping on the door. His mother poked her head in and whispered "Are you all packed up and ready to go, dear? Your father's not awake yet, but you know how being late upsets him."

"I'm ready, mum. Just give me a minute to get dressed." Cedric told her sleepily.

"There's something else, dear." His mother stepped in and closed the door. She was careful not to step on the creaky floorboard, and she sat on the end of the bed. "I've purchased an owl for you, but I don't want your father to know, you know how he gets about spending money on frivolous things. But I don't think it's frivolous. I've already sent it to Hogwarts. It's a tawny owl, but I haven't named it yet, I thought you might like to." His mother continued in a hushed tone.

"Bridget." Cedric said softly, yet firmly. 'That way, I'll always have a reminder of her…' he thought.

"That's a lovely name. Bridget then, whenever you need me, send her to me. But only at work, I don't want your father to know just yet." His mother grimaced, she did not like to keep secrets from her husband.

"What about when I come home next summer? He'll find out then for sure, when I come home with an owl that he didn't buy." Cedric pointed out.

His mother replied "We'll worry about that when the time comes." She kissed him on the forehead and exited, leaving Cedric to get dressed and prepare to leave for Hogwarts.

"September 1st…" he said quietly, reveling in the happiness of leaving his father's abrasiveness, if only for a short while.


	2. The Hogwarts Express

**Chapter Two: The Hogwarts Express**

The journey to King's Cross Station was fairly quick, and almost silent, except for his father's muttering at all of the Muggles in the way, "Always clogging everything up!"

His mother guided him through the passageway at Platform 9 ¾ with his father close behind, pulling the trolley with his luggage on it. Once inside, his mother swept him in a tight embrace, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Make us proud son," His father clasped his shoulder and said in a booming voice.

Cedric saw his father's eyes flash a dangerous look at him and he heard the implied "or else…" that was tacked onto most things his father said, and he always made good on those silent promises.

Amos pulled Cedric's mother away from him as Cedric clambered onto the train. For the first time since this whole ordeal started, Cedric was nervous. Both of his parents were magical, yet his father had never allowed him to partake in any activities involving magic. He had never officially met any other wizard children so he didn't know any of these people. He had not even been allowed to go to Diagon Alley to help purchase his school supplies. He wandered down the corridor, peeking into windows and hoping to find a friendly looking face. He had traveled through three separate cars until, surprisingly, he found not one, but two familiar faces. He tapped on the door and slid it open a bit. "Mind if I join you?" He asked politely, not knowing what he would do if they rejected him.

"Sure, have a seat! I'm Fred, and this is my brother, George," the cheerful redhead smiled enthusiastically.

"No, you dingbat, I'm Fred. Don't listen to George, he doesn't know what he's talking about," the other boy piped up, "Hey, do we know you? You look familiar," he trailed off thoughtfully.

Cedric didn't know if he would be able to tell the two apart, especially if they couldn't introduce themselves properly. "Erm, ok, I'm Cedric. It's nice to meet you. I think we might live near each other. I've seen you before, I think," he responded quietly

"Much obliged." said George (or Fred.)

"You look nervous, here, have a sweet. Come on, it'll make you feel better," Cedric must have looked doubtful, because Fred (or George) became more forceful, "Really! I insist!"

Cedric, not wishing to be rude, took the small red candy out of the boy's outstretched palm. The twins watched eagerly as he popped it into his mouth. He sucked on it for a moment or two, and it seemed quite tasty, like a sugar coated cinnamon stick, until suddenly…

"Oh! Look at that smoke pouring out of his ears!" the first redhead exclaimed.

Cedric spit out the candy as the other boy praised their work, "Oh yes, Georgie-boy, I'd say that is a successful test," he turned to Cedric, "Sorry 'bout that mate, I couldn't tell you what was going to happen, or you wouldn't have taken it."

"What_ is_ it?" Cedric stared at the sweet in his palm, feeling slightly naïve for taking it without asking that question in the first place.

"It's just a little something we've been working on. We haven't named it yet. We might sell them at Hogwarts, once we think of a good pitch. We're going to open a joke shop," Fred explained.

All the way up to Hogwarts, Fred and George told Cedric more about some of their products. The trio was gradually joined by friends of the twins and other curious students. Each newcomer was given a sweet, and Cedric was surprised to find that they did not all have the same effect as his had. The blue ones made the consumer cry, as if remembering that their dog had just died, and the green ones caused little purple spots to pop up all over the face of whichever student was unlucky enough to receive that particular sweet. Cedric's favorite was the yellow sweet. Once in their mouth, it caused the eater to double over in laughter, like they were being tickled by several invisible hands. All of the effects subsided eventually, usually while the twins called out prices for small packets of whichever button-sized candy was being demonstrated at the time.

The crowd dispersed when the twins ran out of products to sell. Cedric glanced out the window at the darkened sky while the twins counted their profits. "12 galleons, 8 sickles, and 4…5…6 knuts! That's not a bad haul, not bad at all!"

Cedric was about to ask what they would do with the money, when suddenly the train rounded a corner, and Cedric saw the strangest sight he had ever seen in his life. They had pulled into a train station, but the little men running it couldn't be human. "Ah, have to love those goblins." Fred said, "These must be the goblins that are too old to work at Gringotts."

The corridors became packed with students, all in their long black robes, de-boarding the train. The noise was unbearable, something that Cedric was not used to. It was so new to him, he almost couldn't stand it. He wanted nothing more than to stay on the train and go back to London, but Cedric knew he couldn't do that. He stepped off with the twins, and they felt themselves being drawn to a loud voice shouting "Firs' years, this way! Follow me, firs' years!"

Cedric could not help but stare at the giant of a man standing in front of them. He was easily 10-feet tall, and wearing a coat that looked to be made of two or three normal sized coats crudely sewn together. "Right then, is that everyone? Alright you lot, four to a boat then. Quickly now, or they'll start the feast without you."

Cedric followed Fred and George into one of the boats, and they were soon joined by a friend of the twins whose name Cedric could not remember. He was about to ask how they were to row the boats, since they had no paddles, but the boat began to move on its own. The twins had begun to chat with the other boy in the boat, who seemed very interested in their future business plans. Cedric kept his eyes forward, afraid that if he turned around he would be overcome by motion sickness. The boats traveled down a winding river and pulled through a thick grouping of willow trees. Once clear of the long, sweeping branches, Cedric got his first glimpse of his new home for the next seven years. Hogwarts was a huge castle with candles glimmering in every window, by far the most majestic building he had ever seen. It was taller than Cedric could have imagined, easily more than 7 stories tall, surrounded by turrets and towers that were each sculpted in a unique yet cohesive way.

He gasped audibly, unable to say anything, since any and all words were inadequate to do the beautiful building justice. The twins looked up to see what it was that had caught Cedric's eye. "Wow…" said Fred, "It's just like Bill and Charlie said it was!"

"Oh, come off it," his twin corrected him, "It's more like what Percy said. Charlie was going on about trolls that guard the gate."

Fred was about to continue the argument but Cedric hushed them. "We're stopping."

The boats pulled up to a bank, where the students were clearly expected to get exit. Cedric followed the throng of new students, all staring up at the castle, wide-eyed and excited. He still could not bring himself to speak. A severe looking woman came up to the children once they were inside, meeting them at a wide marble staircase. She introduced herself and began to give instructions, but Cedric could not comprehend what she was saying. He merely stared and followed. She led them into a gigantic hall, lined by four long tables each filled with the returning students. They made their way up to a table against the far wall that faced the other four tables. Seated at this table were the eccentrically dressed, older people that Cedric could only imagine were the teachers. At the exact middle of the table was a very grand chair where a very old man with a very grand, silver beard was seated. His blue eyes grazed over the students making Cedric feel as though he was being judged. Cedric was so intrigued by this man that at first, he did not notice the stool in front of him, on which was a tattered, graying hat. He could not conceal his shock when the hat began to sing. His mouth dropped open, and it stayed that way until Fred (or George) leaned over and whispered "You're catching flies mate."

Cedric snapped his mouth shut, frozen until he realized that the hat had finished, and all of the other students were clapping. Cedric joined in, and once the applause died down, he refocused his attention on the woman at the head of the group. He looked on as she, pulled out a roll of parchment and began to call out names in alphabetical order. As each student was called, they came up to the front of the hall and sat on the stool. He listened to the twin's whispered conversation. "McGonagall, what did they say she taught?"

"Charms, I think. No! It was Transfiguration, I'm sure of it."

Cedric sighed in relief; at least he knew her name now. Professor McGonagall placed the hat, The Sorting Hat, on the student's head, and it called out a house. She had made it though about 8 names until it came to be his turn.

"Diggory, Cedric," she called in a clear voice.

Cedric strode up to the stool and sat. He was amazed to find that he could hear the hat's voice in his hear.

_Oh, yes, you're a good kid, I can see that, and I can see that you want to make your father proud. Yes, I think you would be best off in_ "Hufflepuff!" the hat shouted for all to hear.

Cedric joined the cheering table and instantly relaxed. He introduced himself to those seated around him and smiled inwardly, not able to imagine a more perfect place to be.

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Thanks for reading darlings, please leave reviews, they make me happy! Also, "So This Is Love," prequel to WWBWF, will be up by 1/10/2009, so keep an eye out! The next chapter of this story will be up by 1/6/2009.

Kisses,

ShelbyElizabeth


	3. Home Again

Note: Ok, this chapter is up two days before the deadline I gave myself, so yay! I just want to let you all know that there are a lot of projects that I am working on. The next one will be "I'm Your's," an NCIS McAbby songfic, to be published 1/10/2009. My next HP project is a threeshot called "I Could Not Want Anything More," the first chapter will be posted 1/17/2009. There are a few things I'd like to tell you before you begin reading this chapter. I know that Cedric and his two friends are very much like Harry and his friends, I did that on purpose. **Also, a warning, this chapter contains some mild abuse.**

**Chapter Three: Home Again**

As Cedric grew accustomed to life at Hogwarts, he found that it became easier for him to relax and make friends. He grew apart from the Weasley boys, who were both sorted into Gryffindor, but he still saw them in classes and he was always willing to joke around with them. The time began to fly by, between homework, lessons and time with friends, and the thing that Cedric feared most was drawing near. Christmas holidays were less than a month away. He tried to enjoy his limited time with his new best friends, James and Donovan. He knew that he would need a mental escape from his father's coming interrogation.

Cedric was sitting in the Hufflepuff common room working on his Potion's essay (Describe, in no less than 5 feet of parchment, the exact purpose of a bezoar, including it's effect on every potion listen on page 326 of your textbook) and daydreaming about throwing a bezoar at Professor Snape's head. 'I usually try to respect teachers, but he is a very foul man…' he thought while thumbing through _1,001 Magical Herbs and Fungi_. He let his thoughts drift away from Potions and towards his family. He imagined how badly his mother must miss him, and he worried about how his father might be treating her. He wasn't exactly sure how long he contemplated his family situation when he felt a sharp poke on the back of his head.

"OW! What was that for?" Cedric screeched in outrage.

He turned around and saw Donovan laughing at him. "C'mon mate, it's time for lunch, you've been sitting here for at least two hours," Donovan grabbed his unfinished Potion's essay, "And it appears that you didn't even get anything done."

"Thank you, mother," Cedric snatched his essay back and shoved it into his book. "Let's go."

Cedric led the way down to the Great Hall, Donovan chuckling at his side. When they arrived, they selected seats near James, who was already stuffing his face with a variety of the food on the table. "For Merlin's sake, James, don't you ever stop eating?" Donovan commented.

James mumbled something about Donovan's mother and made a rude hand gesture. "Well, Mr. Ross. If you were half as passionate about your potion making as you were your insults, perhaps you would be in better shape for the upcoming exam," Snape glared at James. "Let's see, how about 10 points for rudeness, and another five for the eye-rolling, so a total of fifteen points from Hufflepuff." Snape swooped off towards the head table, and James took the opportunity to flash the same rude gesture at his retreating back.

"I really hate him." James turned back to his plate.

"Well, he has a point. Not that I want him to take points away, but you really should spend more time studying." Cedric listened to his friends bicker.

"Can you two give it a rest, please?" Cedric interjected, but the two ignored him and continued their argument. "You fight like an old, married couple." Cedric mumbled.

"Hey! That's not even funny." James looked offended, but finally moved on to a new subject.

Cedric spent the train ride to King's Cross Station staring out the window of the train and listening to his friends talk about the gifts they hoped to receive for Christmas. He was jolted out of his thoughts by Donovan. "What do you want for Christmas, Cedric?"

"Oh," Cedric had been hoping they wouldn't ask this, since he very rarely received anything he really wanted. "Well, I'd like a broomstick, but I don't think I'll get it."

Cedric internally prayed that they would notice his discomfort and not press the issue. However, James continued. "Why's that? Your dad works at the Ministry, I'm sure he could afford it."

"Dad's kind of funny about spending money." Cedric hoped that his face wouldn't betray his disappointment.

James opened his mouth to continue, but Donovan, by far the more tactful friend, gave him a swift kick and changed the subject to Quidditch. "You know, I don't think the seeker for the Harpies is that good looking. She has a weird nose."

"What? How can you say that?" James became distracted by his favorite topic, leaving Cedric to go back to his thoughts.

When the train arrived at King's Cross, Cedric became very nervous. He felt as though his stomach had relocated somewhere closer his knees and he could feel his heart trying to jump out of his chest. He wasn't sure if his father was coming to retrieve him or not. As he stepped down onto the platform, he let go a sigh of relief. His mother was standing there, and a quick look around showed that his father was nowhere in sight. He bid his friends goodbye as she rushed toward him. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around him, which slightly worried Cedric. Emily Diggory was a very talkative woman whenever her husband was not around. Cedric took this to mean that his interrogation was scheduled to begin the moment they got home.

"Your father's waiting for you in the study," Emily took Cedric's coat and hung it in the closet. "Just answer his questions and it will be over before too long," she said optimistically.

She kissed Cedric's forehead and went into the kitchen to begin making dinner. Cedric shuffled down the hall as slowly as he could, hoping to put off his father's sure disapproval. With every step closer to Amos' study he could feel his anxiety heighten. Finally, Cedric stood in front of the closed wooden door. He took a deep breath and knocked gently. "Enter," his father's voice was low.

Cedric did as his father had said. He closed the door behind him and sat at one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs in front of the desk. The room was not unlike the office of a company executive, but it had no windows and the walls were lined with books that looked as though they had never been read. Amos' face was emotionless, but Cedric did not relax for he knew that nothing was ever good enough for his father, and somewhere behind the façade, he was planning a verbal attack on his son. Cedric's palms began to sweat as his father reached into a drawer and pulled out a stack of parchment. Amos set the papers in the middle of the desk facing Cedric, trying to entice him to look down, but Cedric knew better. He held eye contact with his father, remembering another one of the Diggory household rules; always look people in the eye, for looking away is a sign of insecurity. He held his breath for what seemed like days until his father began to speak. "Son, I've been in contact with your teachers. Do you know what these letters say?" Amos glared down at Cedric.

"No sir!" Cedric replied in a military-esque fashion, employing two more of his father's rules: always speak in a clear voice because mumbling is for those who are weak, and always address your elders respectfully.

"Very well, I shall tell you. Some of your professors are intrigued by you. They find you to be a diligent worker who rarely has difficulties involving time management or stupidity. I don't know how you did it, but you've got them wrapped around your finger," Amos removed all but one of the letters from the desk, "However, there is someone who seems to be at odds with the rest. Read me the letter."

Cedric had a feeling he knew which professor had written this letter, which he took off of the desk and began to read aloud:

"_Dear Mr. Diggory,_

_It was quite a surprise to receive your letter, as many parents do not take a very active role in their child's education, but I am glad that you did. Your son is below average in my class, and it seems to me that he is not putting forth all of his efforts. I am concerned that he may be spending too much time frolicking with his companions, when he should be spending it doing the proper research for his homework, which consistently lacks insight and is rarely the work that I would expect from someone whom other professors claim to be highly intelligent. When this letter arrived, I immediately graded your son's recent examination, for which he earned a dismal 'P.' I ask that you please step in and inform your son that if he does not put forth a great deal more effort, it is unlikely that he will succeed in any of his classes, not merely my own._

_Sincerely,_

_Prof. Severus Snape, Potionsmaster_"

Cedric could feel his face becoming red, partially from embarrassment, but more from anger. He was not doing that poorly in Potions, he was one of the top students, but in true Snape fashion, his hard work was ignored. He had suspicions that his homework was not even read, and that Snape simply marked it with a 'P' before moving on to the next paper. He was also angry, for his father always focused on the negative, no matter how many positives there were.

Cedric set the letter back on the desk and examined his father's facial expression. Amos had leaned back in his chair and his eyes were closed. He remained this way for several minutes before speaking. "Needless to say, I am very disappointed," Amos hissed as he rose out of his chair and withdrew his wand from another drawer. "Stand up."

Cedric did as he was told, knowing what was to come. His father walked around the desk until he was behind where Cedric stood. Cedric prepared himself for the pain he knew he was about to endure. Amos silently swung his wand toward Cedric's back, as if he were trying to hit a baseball while batting with only one hand. No actual contact was being made, but with each movement of his father's wand, Cedric could feel a thick wooden cane striking his back. He cringed with each hit but did not move, because he knew that one tiny movement would escalate his father's anger. He stood motionless until suddenly, there were no more strikes. This meant his punishment was over.

Amos left the room, slamming the door behind him. Cedric felt a lone tear roll down his cheek. He took a few deep breaths to compose himself before exiting. He could tell it was going to be a very long seven years.

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Thank you all for reading, the next chapter will be a lot happier. It will be up by 1/24/2009. Reminder: Reviews are my life, so please leave them!

Hugs and Kisses!


	4. A Letter Home

A/N: The story has jumped ahead a few years: Cedric is now a 6th year. I know this is a short chapter, but the next one is much longer to make up for it.

**Chapter Four: A Letter Home**

Dear Mother,

It's been a difficult year at Hogwarts. All of this Sirius Black stuff is getting to everyone's heads. Dumbledore's added security everywhere, there's even dementors at the gates. The only plus so far is that we can still play Quidditch, but I think that will be changing after today. We played against Gryffindor today, Harry Potter's their seeker. It was raining when I woke up, so I knew I would have the upper hand because Harry's lighter than I am. It was just like a normal game, but it was hard to see the snitch through all the rain. When I finally got a glimpse of it, I took off. Potter was nowhere to be seen. I grabbed the snitch, but when I looked down, nobody was looking at me. I saw Dumbledore shoot something silver out of his wand; I think it was a Patronus. Harry was lying on the ground, and I knew that he had been attacked by the dementors. Why else would Dumbledore use a Patronus? I didn't know what to do. It's not fair to win a game under those conditions. I tried to get Madam Hooch to schedule a rematch, but she refused. I feel bad for Harry, and I feel like I cheated. It's not right. Harry's fine by the way. I tried to go visit him in the hospital wing, but Madam Pomfrey said he was resting. It's really lucky that Fred and George Weasley caught him. I tried to talk to them, but they won't acknowledge me. I'm afraid people are starting to think that I somehow bribed the dementors to get them to attack Harry so that I could win. It's really not fair. Do you think that there's a way to get Madam Hooch to schedule a rematch so that we can try again? I don't want to take advantage of anyone's misfortune; I just want to play a fair game. I know I can beat Harry, and I know that he can beat me, but from the outcome of this game, it's unlikely that anyone still thinks I'm a good person. They all think I abandoned Harry just to win. On this plus side, the Slytherins are fonder of me. Please write back with advice as soon as possible.

Your loving son,

Cedric

P.S. Please don't tell Dad about the game, I'm not ready for him to hear this story.


	5. Guests, Expected and Not

**Chapter Five: Guests, Expected and Not**

It was Halloween, and Cedric Diggory's seventh and final year at Hogwarts. He stood outside on the great, sweeping lawn of the castle with the rest of the students and the entire faculty. They were all looking in different directions, trying to guess how their guests would be arriving. Hogwarts didn't usually have guests, but this year they were hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and Cedric knew he had to compete. This was his chance to end his father's torment.

His eyes wandered around the landscape of the Hogwarts grounds, finally settling on a very pretty fifth year Ravenclaw. Her name was Cho Chang, and they had been spending a lot of time together. She was the only person that Cedric felt he could really trust, besides his mother, Donovan, and James. They could talk for hours, or sit in silence. His mind wandered to their conversations and his possible feelings for her. She turned, as if she felt eyes on her. Her gaze met his, and they silently greeted each other. Cho did not look away until curiosity got the better of her, and she again joined in the hunt for the approaching students.

Cedric remembered he had a book to give back to her. He began to make his way to her, but was interrupted by shouting from a younger student. "Look! Up there!"

He tilted his head back to see a giant carriage flying towards them, pulled by four of the largest horses he had ever seen. Several students had to scramble out of the way, only just avoiding being flattened by the carriage.

A woman climbed out, and when she straightened up, Cedric had to clamp his mouth shut to avoid letting his jaw drop in amazement. She was at least twice Cedric's height and had smooth, olive colored skin. She turned to Dumbledore and spoke in a thick French accent, so thick that Cedric could not bring himself to pay attention to her. He instead focused on the small group of students who clambered out of the carriage behind her. Their silk blue robes matched the exterior of the carriage, and must have been very thin, for the majority of the students were shivering.

Cedric scanned their faces and did a double-take. 'It can't be,' he thought, 'Impossible,' he shook the idea from his mind.

A hand clasped his shoulder. "Can't wait to get to know some of them, right mate?"

"Sure, whatever James," Cedric watched as the Beauxbatons students marched off to the warm castle behind their very large headmistress.

It wasn't long after the Hogwarts students had settled down that another commotion arose. "The lake, look at the lake!" another student yelled.

A mast was rising out of the murky water, followed by a ship not unlike drawings of pirate ships Cedric had seen in his youth. A haughty looking man led the way as he and his students disembarked the ship.

"Holy shit," James cried out, "It's Viktor Krum!"

"Very astute," Cedric mumbled at his friend.

Heads turned to follow the Quidditch star as he stumbled past. The entire school swarmed after the Durmstrang students, excited to have a celebrity in the vicinity as well as get out of the harsh October air.

Cedric led his still celeb-shocked friend to the Great Hall for the feast. They took their normal seats at the middle of the Hufflepuff table. He noticed that there were two additional tables added for the occasion; one to the Slytherin table and one to the Ravenclaw table. Cedric could barely focus as Dumbledore gave a little speech and explained how the Champions for the tournament would be chosen. Normally, he paid very close attention to anything a teacher said, but his mind kept wandering back to the girl he had seen get out of the Beauxbatons carriage.

Once the food appeared on the plates and everyone tucked in, Cedric excused himself from the table. "I'm going to go give Cho her book back."

James mumbled something at him, but his mouth was full so Cedric didn't understand a word of it. He rolled his eyes and extracted the book from an inside pocket of his robes. He made his way over to the Ravenclaw table, narrowly avoiding some mashed potatoes that a first year had flung at his friend but missed horribly.

Cho was sitting very near the Beauxbatons students. He put a hand on her shoulder and set the book on the table in front of her. "Oh, thanks Cedric, I was going to ask you for this back soon; Christine wants to borrow it,"

One of the girls with the light blue robes looked up at him from across the table. She seemed familiar to him, especially the eyes; they were blue, almost as pale as her robes.

Cedric could not speak to her. He turned back to Cho and said "I'll talk to you later," before leaving the Great Hall.

He slumped against the wall in the entrance hall, pulling his knees close to his body and tilting his head down into his hands. "Am I going crazy?" he mumbled to himself.

He heard soft clicks on the floor. 'Probably a teacher,' he reasoned, remaining in his position. To his surprise, the clicks stopped just to his left. "You're not crazy," she said.

He looked up and she slid down the wall next to him. "Bonjour Cedric," Bridget greeted.

"Wow," he said, unable to form a coherent, complete sentence, "It's um, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"We finally see each other after six years, and that's the best you can do?" she joked.

They said nothing else, simply sitting in silence until the Hall emptied. Cedric did not pay the other students any attention until he saw James and Donovan walk past out of the corner of his eye, both giving him quizzical looks. "I should go," he said quietly.

They stood and Bridget turned to Cedric expectantly. He thought about giving her a hug, but he saw Cho over her shoulder and decided against it. He turned and left, not wanting the two of them to be near each other, and if they were going to be, he didn't want to be anywhere near them. "Bye then," he heard her say from behind him.

James and Donovan were a little ways up the corridor, waiting to ambush him. He had some serious explaining to do.


	6. Guests, Expected and Not Bridget's POV

It was Halloween, one of Bridget Benoit's favorite days. She was sitting in the gigantic powder blue carriage of Beauxbatons Academy, the French magic school that she had attended for the past six years. She was vaguely aware of her best friend, Gabrielle, jabbering on about how excited she was on one side of her. Across the carriage, one of the boys was staring at her; he had long harbored a crush on Bridget. Instead of paying either one of them attention, she was thinking about what was to come, for six years ago, before she had been whisked away to France, she had lived around London, and she had had a friend, a boy friend. "Cedric," she whispered without realizing she had said anything.

"Bridget, did you say something?" Gabrielle turned to her.

"No, I'm sorry Gabrielle, what were you talking about?"

Normally, they would have been carrying on this conversation in French, but Madame Maxime had insisted that once they set foot in the carriage that they speak only in English. It was for practice and to show the arrogant Britons that it was good to learn a foreign language. In addition to magic, Beauxbatons required students to take English and Spanish classes. Since Bridget already spoke English, she was permitted to only take Spanish and more was expected of her there.

Bridget returned to her thoughts about her old friend. 'Will he recognize me? Will he even want to talk to me now that I'm the enemy?' she worried.

She felt the carriage touch down softly. Her stomach twisted into knots. "Hemos llegado," she said to no one in particular.

"Bridget," Madam Maxime's voice descended upon her, "English only," she reprimanded.

They all stepped out of the carriage. There was a buzz of excitement from the Hogwarts students. Madame Maxime stepped up to a very old looking wizard and greeted him. While they spoke, she looked around at the students that had crowded around the carriage. She felt Gabrielle step closer to her and whisper in her ear, "They are like vultures; do they not understand personal space?"

Bridget smiled and whispered back, "I could say the same about you."

Gabrielle pouted and took a step away. "Look at Fleur," she giggled.

Bridget peered down at the flashy student. Her face was covered, but the look in her eyes was one that Bridget recognized. It was the look that clearly said _I have stepped in dung_; she had never been very accepting of people not born in France. Bridget laughed and continued looking around at the Hogwarts students.

And then she saw him, surely it was him. Sure, he was taller and even better looking, if that was possible, but she would recognize those eyes anywhere. Gabrielle was whispering in her ear again, "Look Bridget, that's Harry Potter," but Bridget could not tear her eyes from his.

She could see one of his friends talking to him, and Gabrielle gave her a little shove, "Bridget, go on; I'm freezing."

Bridget followed Madame Maxime and her fellow students up the stone steps and into the school. They were led into a massive hall set with four very long tables and one shorted one that faced the others. They elected to sit at what looked like an extension of one of the tables.

Soon after they chose their seats, the Hogwarts and Durmstrang students entered. Bridget looked for him again, but she could not find him. She was sitting with Gabrielle on one side and a Hogwarts student on the other. Across from that girl was another who introduced herself as Cho, and her friend as Marietta. "It's very nice to meet you," Bridget said politely.

"Your English is very good," Marietta said.

Bridget blushed, "Well, I was born here. I moved to France just before I began attending Beauxbatons. I'm sure that if I had stayed in London for a few more months, I would have been attending Hogwarts instead," she mentally added a 'with Cedric' to her response.

Well, speak (or think) of the devil and he shall appear. Bridget was concentrating on her plate while Gabrielle chatted with the some of the other girls in French, completely ignoring what Madame Maxime had said. She heard something get set on the table. "Oh, thanks Cedric, I was going to ask you for this back soon; Christine wants to borrow it," Cho said.

Bridget looked up in disbelief. To her surprise, he was looking at her. She saw the recognition in his eyes; he knew who she was. She was trying to think of something to say, but before she could, he turned back to Cho and said "I'll talk to you later," before leaving the Great Hall.

She waited a moment before asking Marietta "Where is the bathroom?"

Marietta directed her outside the hall and to the fourteenth door on the right, just past the tapestry of the founders. Bridget thanked her and exited the hall, her low heels clicking on the floor.

Cedric was sitting on the floor just outside of the doors. "Am I crazy?" he said to himself.

She walked over to his side. "You're not crazy," she said.

He looked up and she slid down the wall next to him. "Bonjour Cedric," Bridget greeted.

"Wow," he said, unable to form a coherent, complete sentence, "It's um, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"We finally see each other after six years, and that's the best you can do?" she joked.

They said nothing else, simply sitting in silence until the Hall emptied. She tried to think of something to say, but she couldn't come up with anything that really expressed how she felt. Gabrielle was giving her a strange look, and Bridget could see some boys that she assumed were Cedric's friends giving him the same look. "I should go," he said quietly.

They stood and Bridget turned to Cedric expectantly. She was hoping for a hug or something, but he turned and left without another word. "Bye then," she said quietly, not sure if he heard her or not.

She met up with Gabrielle and they walked back to the carriage together. Gabrielle asked her as many questions but Bridget did not answer any of them. "Tomorrow," she said before climbing into her bed inside of their home away from home; she needed time to process what had happened, and she had a lot of thinking to do.


End file.
